Monday, August 31, 2009

In many Orthodox countries (and Catholic ones too) it is common to name your child after the saint commemorated on the day that they are born. I’m sure I am not the first Orthodox convert to look up their birthdate and play the “what-if” game.

Using this theory, I could have been Cypriana, Adiana, or Eanswythe, but most likely I'd have been Mary after today’s feast of the Sash of the Theotokos.

We learn from this interesting article:

THE MOST VENERABLE and full of grace Belt of our Blessed Virgin Mary, which is found at the Holy Great Monastery of Vatopedi in Agios Oros (Holy Mt. Athos), is the only precious souvenir that survives from her earthly life.

According to the Sacred Tradition and the history of our Church, the Most Holy Theotokos three days after she fell asleep she rose from the dead and ascended in body to the heavens. During her ascension, she gave her Holy Belt to the Apostle Thomas. Thomas, a long with the rest of the holy Apostles, opened up her grave and didn't find the body of the Theotokos. In this way the Holy Belt is proof for our Church of her Resurrection and bodily ascension to the heavens, and, in a word, at her metastasis.

The Holy Belt, according to the tradition, was made by the Blessed Virgin Mary herself with camel hair. The Empress Zoi, wife of Leo 6th the Wise, out of gratitude for her miraculous cure, embroidered the Belt with gold thread, as it is found today, but divided in three pieces. Originally it was being kept in Jerusalem and later in Constantinople. There during the 12th century under Manuel A' Komninos (1143-1180) an official holiday for the Belt was established on August 31st. In the end, Emperor John the 6th Katakouzinos (1347-1355), who had a special love toward the Holy Great Monastery of Vatopedi, as is evidence by many related accounts, donated the Belt to the Monastery. Since then the Holy Belt is kept at the Holy Monastery of Vatopedi, in a silver case of newer manufacture which depicts the Monastery. On the bottom right border of the depiction the artist made the drawing of the donor Emperor Katakouzinos along in the a sign which refers to his donation to the Monastery.

Numerous are the miracles, that have taken place up to today with the Holy Belt. Its value is priceless because it's associated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. She has the grace and to her the miraculous power is attributed, which with many ways she transmits to the faithful.
The Holy Belt maintains unaltered the grace of the Most Holy Theotokos, because it became connected with her person and her life and because saints are spirit carriers during not their life, but also after their death. The same phenomenon is mentioned in the Holy Scriptures when objects that the Prophet Elias and the holy Apostles wore actually performed miracles, because they had the grace of the saints. For this reason the Church attributes it honorary worship, as it does to the Holy Wood of the Cross of the Lord.

The Holy Belt has the unique grace to cure women's sterility as well as cancer patients, with a ribbon that has firstly been blessed on the Belt and is subsequently worn by the sterile women and patients.


I love the history of this relic being cared for and cherished throughout the centuries, and today’s feast commemorates one of the movements of this sacred item. I do find it a bit intriguing, though, that while it is apparently kept on Mt. Athos (which makes sense, as the Holy Mountain is under the protection of the Theotokos) it has unique grace to cure women’s sterility. How exactly a woman would be blessed with the belt that resides on a Monastic mountain accessable to men, one wonders. I can only assume that it travels to Greece often.

And, lastly, last year Grace discussed this feast in a lovely post that I commend to you.
(icon credit from the Greek page referenced above)

14 Comments:

At 12:18 PM , Blogger elizabeth said...

Many Years!!!

Thank you for the reminder of this feast!

 
At 1:47 PM , Blogger margaret said...

On the New Calendar I would have been Annunciata :)

In my two-calendar-confusion I'd forgotten all about this feast until I went to the Greek church tonight. Now I have to forget about it again so that I can say Compline on the old calendar.

 
At 1:58 PM , Blogger Michelle M. said...

Happy Birthday!

I should look to see who I could have been named after...

 
At 2:41 PM , Blogger Mimi said...

Thank you!

Margaret - I think you share a birthday with my youngest, who I guess could have been Annuncio.

 
At 5:26 PM , Blogger Esteban Vázquez said...

Happy birthday, Mimi! :-) (And as a side note, some traditionally name according to the date of birth, as you say, and yet others according to the commemorations on the 8th day, on which day a child is Named.)

Margaret> My spritual father's grandmother was called Anunciata. :-)

 
At 7:36 AM , Blogger Christina said...

I have a ribbon that was blessed by the Sash of the Theotokos.
out of those choices of names (and if you had been my child:) I would have picked maria:)
My birthday is near Christmas which is why I am named Christina.

 
At 1:55 PM , Blogger Mimi said...

Esteban - oh, that's a good point. Although, since the 8th day would have been the Forefeast of the Nativity of the Theotokos, I suspect I'd still be Mary or a variant.

Christina, that's so awesome! What a blessing.

Ian - I remember that St. John's feastday is the day after your birthday, that works out so well.

 
At 1:16 PM , Blogger Karen K said...

Let's see, there aren't any female Orthodox saints for September 22, but there are on the Catholic calendar:

Digna
Emmerita
Salaberga

Have a wonderful feast, Mimi!

 
At 3:31 PM , Blogger Mimi said...

Karen - I kind of like Emmerita. I looked,and you are right - it's hard to make Jonah feminine. But, Peter and Macarius would both feminize.

By the way, my mother tells me given that list, I'd have been Cypriana.

 
At 6:50 PM , Blogger Penelope said...

I haven't looked mine up, but in my family we pretty much name after the grandparents...my soon to be son will be named after my dad :)

 
At 6:51 PM , Blogger Penelope said...

And Happy B-day!!! Many happy, healthy, blessed years!

 
At 2:22 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday, dear sweet lady! I'm so blessed to *know* you!

 
At 12:39 AM , Blogger Matt said...

Sash would be a cool name fora musician or, maybe, a bounty hunter.

 
At 1:36 PM , Blogger Mimi said...

Heh. Sash.

Thank you for the birthday wishes.

 

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